Toilet-brush.



W. Hx BRIDGES.

TOILET BRUSH.

APPLlcATmN FILED Autun. 1315. RENEWED MAYy 13.1918.

Patented July 16, 1918.

j) sqb) a) Wfl/a m M Brialges me Name/s P: :Eres :c new muv.. wAsmNn nw. n c.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEreE.

WILLIAM H. BRIDGES, or

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO BENJAMIN FELD,

OFFULTON COUNTY, GEORGIA.

TOILET-BRUSH.

` specmation of Letters Patent.

Patented July 16, 1918.

Application led August 11, 1915, Serial No. 45,044. Renewed May 13, 1918. Serial No. 234,341.

To all lwhom t may concern.' v

Be it knownthat I, WILmAM-HQBRIDGES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsr in Toilet- Brushes,` of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in folding toilet brushes, and its objects are: first, to'provide anv improved means for-folding the 'bristles' down within the ybrush frame, and extending 'them out at right angles with the frame; second, to provide a means wherebythe bristles may be made to occupy the least` possible yspace'in the frame of the-brush, when' folded, and will extend to the full length of the bristlesy outside the surface of the brush frame whenv extended; third, to provide a means whereby-there will be actually no unsightly openl space between the first row of bristles and the adjacent end of the handle or extensible part of the brush frame when the bristles are extended, and by which a sufficient space will be created, upon folding thel bristles into the frame' of the brush, so that there will be no possibility of the'end of the lhandle coming in contact 'withthe ends ofthe bristles as the handleis being forced toward the frame of the brush for extending thebristles; fourth, to provide a means whereby the movement of the bristle holders from extended to folded positions, and vice versa, will be, absolutely'smooth, positiverv and -free in action, and, fifth, to-providef a" means whereby the bristles willbeheldffirmly in position when extended ready for'use for brushing purposes. f l 4 I attain these objects by theI construction and assembling lof 4parts' shown in the .accompanying drawing'in' which Figure 1 is a faceplan of a brush frame and the bristle holders with the bristles removed, the brush being' of the class known as military brushes; Fig. 2 is a' longitudinal section of a brush frame and. handle showingthe per#r manentL actuating bar, and the actuating slide in position 3 is a' longitudinal section.- ofthe brush'y frame sh owing'th'e normal positions of the-two actuating bars when the bristles are extended Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section cffonc endof the brush iframe showing the actuating bars in normal' position and 1hr-bristle 'bars and bristles in .ex-

tended position; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal'section of the brush frame practically on the line a', ai of Fig. lshowing the pivotal bearings of the bristle holders and the bristles in rfolded position; Fig. 6 s a plan,'and Fig.

7 is an elevation of the adjustable actuating bar; Fig. 8 is an edge view of the permanent actuating bar, and Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the bristle bar and its pivot frame.

Similarv reference characters represent similarl parts -throughout the severalviews. In the construction of this brush l make a sheet metal frame 1' having the sides at right angles with the back, and each side having an inwardly extending edge h of a proper width 'to form a recess at eachside of the'frame'of a proper depth to cover and secure the upper edges of the .actuating slide and the movable actuating-bar 7, as indicated4 in Fig. 1. 6 representsa permanently located actuating bar that is located in the lower half of the recess on each side of the brushframe, and is made of the same thickness as the width of the edge k of the side of the frame, or, in other words, as thickas the combined thickness of the actuating slide 5 and the actuating bar 7 so that when these elements are placed in the recesses the inner surfaces ofthe bars 6 and 7 will bev in the,

same plane.

.Y The actuating slide 5 is securelyv connected, at one end, with the side ofthe handle guard 4, on handle brushes, orthe side of the extensible frame 2 on military brushes, one of said slides being provided for each side of the brush. These slides are made to exactly iitand slide freely between the lower surfaces of ,thel inturned edgesl h h of the frame 1, and the upper edge of the-permanent adjusting bar 6, and each slide is provided with a slot near each end, each slot having a long part a of uniform width at the forward ends, and an inclined part b, c, at

the back ends. These slidesv lie directly against the side walls of the brush frame and in position sothe pins d, d that extend outward from the surfaces vof the actuating bars 7,7 will pass through the slots hereinbefore-described. The long portion 'a of the slots is designed to ,allow the slide to be drawn backward forsome distance before the bristle bars 9 are affected by the actuating-bars 7, 7.y This is for the purpose of forming a space between the guard 4ofthe handle and the first bristle bar 9'as long as Y as;marcate-a innig. 'y The pins-a5 a' Q v i brushing actuated by passing the inclinesfband 'c to' move the actuating barsv 7, 7 so theywill lcause the bristle bars 9 to be thrown-ironithe position indicated in Figs. l and to' Vthatffsho'wirin' Fig.V 5. The niovenl'e'iit'fof tlie actuating:slidesbaclnvard when the pins al, al are passing over the incline's c and b, and

`before the handle guard 4 has approached .close enough to touch* the ends of the bristles-on the first bristle bar, will carry the bristiefholders andthe bristlesback to posi tion atright angles,withthe'brush frainez' The balance-of the distance traveled by the slides before'the pins d, l a-refengag'ed by the slide' at-the end of theportion @of the slot allows the slide'tol move far enough to close up the space between the handle guard 4 and the first rowof bristles. e ,e c

. explaining the manner in which the bristle barsv 9 are actuatedwe will presume that thenornial positions of theseveral parts olf' the brushgare represented in Figs.` 1,12; .3" andi-4lf 1n these figures-the pins'clgdzare I v Vlcoatedatthe; relatively, right handyend of tlhejslfots aand thepiivot holes@ are *located relatively.' to the left ofy the corresponding holes,f, inthe permanentv actuating bars@ so lthat/when properly assenibledthe pintles a Iat the upper ends of the bristle bar frames l() will be,l passed through' the respective 'holes-e in the bar Zutofthe left 'of the corresponding holes-fin the permanent bars 6; The pintles'at the'lower ends ofthe :trames arepi/votally anchored in the bars 6, Yasfat j",v so that when the handle 3,1or the .part- 2 Y 'of' a military brush, is drawnfbaek andthe slides 5 are drawn out of the framef' far enoughito-cause the pins-CZ, cZf`t`ofbeengaTged by the' plates or slides 5 at the-'endo ofthe sloten, o, c and draw the bars 7V endwise the-upper ends of thefbristfle bar? frames 10,' will be drawn orwardlby th-'elbarsf 7 and the bristles willbie caused tofassune-ithepojsif` tions indicated' 'in Fig. 5, when all of the bristle endsv will bepbelow the edges 7th of the brush traine-1:1. From thijspositionthe re'-v vers'e finovemeiit of ,thel s licles55, 5 'will carry the vb'r-istle'barsand bristlesback 'to the -posi-V tionfshowhffnls 4C.- l

vp.I..prefer-thatthe bars 6, 6 befplacedfar enough away from thejbackg-of; the; brush trarnev to forma creas-e101q slj'ot foitheffree passageothe back-8 ofthe handleor 'fslidingpart ofjthe brush.-v lIt willgbefreadily understoodthat this,ft cv ,gfethev ry with the confinement of the slsf", i5 bctwenzthepoverhansneie'dses; hv k., of :the: fname@ arfdhe, upper? edges of the Ibars -6 =will}fo,r1n guides and) `guidewaystjliajgwill causethe handle or sliding part off the brush to inovein-the fragmein'ag direct .line without dangert of cramping-:in thef'least degree.

it is videment when the 'Brisas Holders Yand"bristles are in the position indicated infin p inplace. For this purpose any of the ordinaryfo'iiis' of catches may bev -ii'tilifedg'as indica-ted by the Vlatch n13, piyotally; connect-` ed at m and actuated by the thunib piece l2 vand the spring'ni Lthapoint--c ,being made to passY through vsl'otfinqthe back plate' 8 and'tocngage aslot] fin *the frame back l Whenrtle slides and bristle' bars are in the positions ,indicated Vn- Figs',A l andY Y, o

A It is necessary tomake thesliding` actuatingvbars 7,7 somewhat narrower thanth'e spaces between the edges la, 7L of the'lranie and thegllpper edgesof Vthe permanentybars 4 6,; 6 sothey niay be readily'adjusted-tothe edgew-ise niovement---caused bygthepiiis d, l opera-tin '-Iiny'the-incliries b-.A-Yc; and tof car-ry the bar-[sf low enog-h orffarieough back in the'fralnes to causef'fthe: bristles; ill? to` lie entirely within.; the walls Joffthefranie: V- Y 0A-,fo represent holes-in the: edges of the bristle' bars for thefreceptionl and retention of;tlrlrebristles.,...V Y j 1 z Y What I Claim asfnew, desire-to secure by `Letters; IPatei-t` of' the United-.,States, is l; A 'toilet brush onsistingxoi a frame hauiijigarecessforinedin'eachfsidean; actuatingre'bar permanently-secured V'in-,the lower half ofvjeauahgofy said 'recesses-and having` a series of. holes forlnedtherein, slides4 lo#y cated -f-in sthe 'recessesbet-Ween the permanent b'arsandaedg'es offthefsidesgofy the frame and g provided. with y suitable fislots, means fori reciprocating said; s1ides.,;s'1iding-barsfmounted at the sides oftfhefsl-ides and?. provided? with' pinsfthatextendfinto.- ther-slots in2-V the-slides; and bristlefbars hav-ing.; pins .projecting longitudinally `from; each enfdgfintothe/Holes in the. .permanentbarsand having-V, lmeans enga-ging the slidingv Aloa-rsVv toi operate 'theN bristle-bars,-todextend orV foldthe bristles- 2'; In toiletY brllslipeonfstrueti'on; a raine havingalfeess fornend-iii/eachasidav,ani-actu ating bar permanently secured in the back halves-ofthe recesses, actuating bar'sgslid ingly securedinthe forward halves; ofthe recesses, slides1 connected; together one end. and I arrangedgb etwfenjfthf- SlidingfraetufA ating; bars rand' th Sidesffp-f theAfirame-5e.l said bals i beim-ng' `-providedAV with slots #straight at onelend..- anjdfhaving; oppQs-itely dreeteda infclinedfrmrtionsATV atthel` other ends,"` pins:v` hon theV sli, t ingffllactuati ng;y bars;` extending :into

liao

bars,4 tlsubstantifally l as.- shownaand l` describedg, Y

3. In' toilet brush construction, a sheet metal frame, an actuating bar permanently secured to the inner surface of each side of the frame, a sliding bar in each side of the frame, an actuating slide adjacent to'each sliding bar, bristle bars pivotally mounted between the respective pairs of sliding and actuating bars, means connected with the slides to fold or extend the bristle bars, and means for locking the slides in place.

4. In a toilet brush, a sheet metal frame having recesses formed in the sides, actuating bars secured to the sides in said recesses forming-a slot at each side between said bars and the back of the frame, a handle having a slide at the back to work in the slots formed by the actuating bars, a slide at each side of the handle extending into the recesses in the frame and having properly formed slots therein, a sliding actuating bar in each side of the frame, pins on said bars to engage the slots in the slides, bristle bars pivotally mounted in the actuatingv bars, means for operating the slides to actuate the sliding actuating bars to fold or extend the bristles of the brush, and means for locking the slides in ixed position when the bristles are extended.

5. In combination with the channeled sheet metal frame of a toilet brush, actuating bars permanently secured in the sides of the frame forming slots between them and the back of the frame, a handle having a sheet metal back extending longitudinally therefrom to slide in said slots, slides connected with the sides of the handle and extending longitudinally of the sides of the frame, sliding actuating bars so connected with the slides as to be given a longitudinal, and slightly lateral movement when the slides are moved lengthwise of the frame, bristle bars so pivotally connected with the actuating bars that the longitudinal movement of the slides will extend or fold the bristles, as desired.

6. In combination with a channeled brush trame, relatively stationary bars arranged within the frame, adjacent opposite sides thereof, a sliding actuating bar arranged adjacent each of said stationary bars, each of said sets of bars being provided with transverse passages, the passages in the sliding bars being normally out of alinement with those in the stationary bars, bristle supporting iframes having at both ends projecting pins that extend into the passages in the sliding and stationary bars, slides supported by the frame and having slots extendng parallel with the length of the slides and frame for a suitable distance and then inclined from parallel position, and proj ections on the sliding actuating bars extending into the said slots in the slides, for the purpose described.

7. In toilet brush construction, a channeled liframe having inwardly opening recesses at the sides, actuating bars permanently secured in the back half of said recesses and having a row of holes through them, sliding actuating bars mounted in said recesses edgewise with the permanent bars and having holes therethrough no1 mally alternating'with the holes in the permanent bars, said sliding bars narrower than the remaining space in the recesses, a handle, slides extending from the end of the -handle into the space back of the sliding bars, said slides having slots through them horizontal for a distance, from one end, thence inclining upward and backward and thence downward and backward from the horizontal forming two angles at the other end, pins extending from the sides of the sliding actuating bars into said slots and so arranged that the longitudinal movement of the slides will move the actuating bars longitudinally and laterally, and bristle bars, pins at the ends of the bristle bars arranged to engage the alternating holes in the actuating bars so the longitudinal movement of the sliding bars will actuate the bristle bars to extend and fold the bristles.

Signed at Grand Rapids, Michigan, Au-

gust 4, 1915.

WILLIAM I-I. BRIDGES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

